8107

We broke the news the other night that Verizon Wireless was set to roll out the latest (or nearly the latest) Windows Phone OS update, version 8107, to HTC Trophy users on its network. That update not only fixes security issues but addresses the disappearing keyboard bug that has driven many mad for the last few months.

We've now received a flood of tips that the update is currently live and if you plug in your Trophy to Zune Desktop you'll be greeted with an update notification. Actually, you'll eventually have three updates to install as it's cumulative:

OS 7740

OS 8107

HTC Firmware

So sit tight as the backup process will vary from device device and will depend on how much "stuff" you have on your phone. Let us know in comments if all has gone well.

During that conversation, AT&T informed us they were committed to updating current Windows Phones and were evaluating a post-8107 update aka "Tango" or Consumer Release 3 (CR3). You can read that whole situation here but the important take away was that AT&T users would get a significant OS bump in the coming months (no time frame was committed to).

Now in their help forums, AT&T has once again come out publicly to reiterate this position. From Community Manager Jamileh:

"Hey all - I know you're eagerly awaiting news about this. AT&T plans for a Windows Phone update that will contain the improvements in the 8107 update and more.

I will likely start a new thread as I get more information as this one is getting a bit tricky to find information in.

Stay tuned!"

Again, no time-frame was given. But at least AT&T have twice gone on record on the matter. Now, it's just a matter of waiting which for some of you will be too long no matter how quick AT&T pushes this out.

While that number doesn't reveal the OS version (8107), reading the new features and fixes reveals that indeed it has to be 8107 since it fixes the disappearing keyboard. Here are the new fixes and enhancements:

Improved Voice Mail notifications when traveling outside the U.S.

Enhanced Cellebrite contact transfer performance.

Improvements in keyboard performance prevent keyboard from disappearing while typing.

Original messages will be included when replying or forwarding an email via an Exchange 2003 server.

Improvements in text messaging performance

No word on exactly when this update will begin being pushed but seeing as Verizon is coming forward with the details, we're going to say it's imminent. So good new for you Verizon folks, not so great news if you're on AT&T or Sprint.

We just spoke with AT&T on the situation and we can confirm and clarify a few things on the record. First, it is true that they have passed on 8107 or what they referred to as "Windows Phone Mango Commercial Refresh 1" or just CR1. They've also passed on CR2, which is what the Lumia 900 and Titan II are running (that's build 8112). That update brings LTE and Visual Voicemail support for AT&T with the first aspect obviously being pointless for current Mango phones.

So that's the bad news.

The good news is they have not shut the door on OS updates for their current lineup including the Samsung Focus S, Focus Flash and HTC Titan. Stacey Harth, a spokeswoman for AT&T, told us this morning "AT&T plans for a Windows Phone update that will contain the improvements in the 8107 update and more" with no commitment to a time-frame.

So what does that mean exactly? It means "Tango", which goes by the alternate name CR3, is something that they are looking to evaluate for an OS update. While they did not want give any time-frames they are definitely committed to updating those devices with a post-8107 OS update from Microsoft. "Tango" (or a build post-Tango) is certainly the most viable candidate for such an update.

Of course what you want to know is why are they passing on 8107? It's a bit complicated and you don't have to agree with their position but they do have a rationale (and it's not to get you to buy a new phone). In short, each update comes with a corresponding OEM firmware update which also fixes hardware bugs and/or optimizes the software (these are often at the request of AT&T). Those updates need to be scheduled with the "bits" from Microsoft and it does take a bit of coordination to get that to happen. Moreover, while 8107 does fix a pretty annoying bug, the updates in CR3 (aka "Tango") brings that fix and even more . For example, AT&T very much likes the idea of multiple-photos in MMS, voice notes, etc. that Tango brings to the table.

And that's the crux of the matter: AT&T is admittedly conservative on OS updates and would prefer to not certify every single one that Microsoft releases for evaluation. Instead, they prefer the method where you can pack numerous bug fixes and new features into a single, bigger update. It's similar to the "do I buy this phone now or wait 3 months for a better one?" scenario that many of you face when you follow technology. For AT&T, the question is do we push this update or do we wait for that even better one just a few weeks away?

That does raise a larger, ongoing issue, which is why can't Microsoft just push out mini-bug fixes to the OS without interference by AT&T, especially if it does not touch the radio firmware? It's certainly a very valid point and the reason seems to be a combo of "this is how carriers operate" and Microsoft has not made "patching" as easy (or perhaps they've just conceded too much power to the carriers).

Regardless, the take away point is that AT&T is planning to update your phones and that update will be a larger, post-8107 update which will include that keyboard fix and even more features. We can disagree on what makes an update imperative and yes, we consider the keyboard fix to fall into that, but that is the current situation.

In the end, it may not be the answer you want to hear but we think it is a lot more palatable than the perception left from this weekend.

While we don't want to fan the flames much more of the whole "AT&T won't support the 8107 OS update" fiasco, we are getting quite a few tips (and complaints) that the mods over at the AT&T support community are aggressively deleting posts for seemingly no reason.

The support forums at AT&T is where the news broke that the company wouldn't not be supporting the Microsoft approved 8107 OS update which fixes the disappearing keyboard problem and other security fixes. Since the time of reporting, anger has substantially grown with many taking to Twitter, the Better Business Bureau and AT&T's own forums (we had 175 comments just to our post on the matter).

Starting last night, however, it seems the moderators are in "damage control" as some have put it and are deleting complaint posts without warning. Many users are noticing this because they get email notifications of responses to their posts, but when they check back a few hours later, those posts were "disappeared". Indeed, if you go to the message board, you'll see a few messages like this from Jamon723:

Indeed, there is a relatively easy way to force any Windows Phone to 8107 in about 15 minutes (after you get all the right files in place) and in fact, we just did it to our Samsung Focus S, mostly because we have a crap-ton of Windows Phones here and can take risks.

We're going to assume you don't have extra phones and therefore we can't really endorse this because:

Having said that, if you still want to go down this path we can say it does work and if you follow the directions to the letter, you'll have 8107 on your Windows Phone (you just won't have any "tweaked" OEM firmware to go with it).

Once again, we must stress that we're not endorsing this method and we would much rather see AT&T just deliver an update. Should you screw up your phone, this is all on you.

So against our better judgement (and Rafael's ire), we're going to post our tutorial on the subject. Read on, if you dare...

We're going to batten down that hatches on this one for the comment storm that is sure to follow, but at least according to an AT&T Community Manager, the company is not planning on supporting the famed 8107 Windows Phone OS update. That's the one that fixes the super frustrating "disappearing keyboard" bug as well as some other security fixes.

The word comes from Jamileh, a Community Manager on the official AT&T support forums. In response to an ongoing discussion about the update and whether or not it will be coming, Jamileh finally chimed in today with what sounds like a definitive answer:

"I got some news about the Windows Phone 8107 update and wanted to share it with you all. We are not currently planning to offer the Windows 8107 update. I don’t have any additional information right now. If and when I get details, I will update the thread."

While we can leave some wiggle room here for the company (Jamileh does work for AT&T but obviously is not an official PR person), her response does sound like a fairly black and white one with little room for reinterpretation.

Of course this raises all sorts of questions e.g. is it because they are opting for the bigger "Tango" update which would be a legitimate delay (why role out 8107 when you you have build 87xx coming in a a month?) or is it because they just don't have any immediate plans to update their current lineup? For now, we're going to assume that AT&T won't be supporting 8107 but we're not ready to get the pitchforks out yet either.

Hopefully AT&T will chime in sooner than later to give some respite to worrying customers who have a lot invested in their Windows Phone.

It has been officially announced on the T-Mobile U.S. support forum that the carrier is rolling out the Windows Phone 8107 update out to HTC HD7 owners. The 8107 OS update introduces numerous changes, but the highlight is the fix for the disappearing keyboard bug.

Be sure to check Zune (or the Mac Windows Phone Connector) for the notification. Unfortunately there's still no word on a 8107 rollout date for Lumia 710 owners on the T-Mobile network, though you can hack the handset to receive the update along with new firmware.

This has been confirmed by our readers who have received the update notification on their handsets. Let us know when you get yours in the comments.

We've just received confirmation that Orange UK is rolling out the Windows Phone 8107 update (for the Lumia 800 anyway). The update addresses the pesky disappearing keyboard bug among other issues. Should you be on the network, and are waiting for the notification, be sure to regularly check Zune when plugged in.

Let us know in the comments should you have the update on the carrier, or are still waiting.

Okay, in a way we really don't recommend you do this, on the other hand we just did so who are we to judge. In short, with a few tools and about 20 minutes of your time, you can flash the latest build of Windows Phone (8107 with the keyboard fix) and the latest firmware (12070) onto your T-Mobile branded Nokia Lumia 710.

The latest firmware fixes the end-call bug in addition to giving other "performance enhancements" e.g. powering on from standby seems faster to us now, whereas before there was delay. We haven't run it long enough to see if battery life has improved, though we presume since this matches the Lumia 800's new firmware that it has some of the same tricks (we're idling at about 135mAh, for what it's worth).

How is this done? The files come from Nokia's servers where you can download various ROM packages. In this case, Nokia has available three variants (by color) of their latest 710 ROMs for India available. That's right, you'll be installing a ROM for India on your US phone. No worries though as it's unbranded and heck, it even has two pics of the Taj Mahal as a bonus.

Downside? Evidently in India you can't give an option to disable the camera shutter sound, so you'll literally lose that option in Settings. This is also a full-on flash, meaning you'll wipe your device and backups won't work (new firmware). Finally, we lost our "4G" icon which makes us wonder if we lost our HSPA+ speeds. Our browser download tests (compared to a T-Mo Radar 4G) show that no loss in speed has occurred and from normal use, it feels just as fast as ever for data.

In order to do this you'll need two pieces of free software: Navifirm and Nokia Care Suite 5.0. The former downloads the ROMs from the server, the latter via the Product Support Tool For Store 5.0, allows you to flash your phone. (Honestly, it's really easy once you read some instructions).

Unfortunately we're not going to give a step-by-step because this is a little risky (although you can just flash back the T-Mobile release ROM). Still, if you want to know more about how this works, just head over to ye'old XDA where you can read the similar instructions on flashing the Lumia 800 (yes, it works on that too). Or you could just wait for the T-Mobile version, which we imagine will be here in a few weeks.

Nokia has finally finished up a ROM and firmware update for the Lumia 710 for India and Singapore (we also see one for Brazil's TIM network on their servers). This next update will finally bring the Windows Phone 8107 OS update which address the disappearing keyboard issue as well as security flaws. In addition, the firmware will fix the end-call bug and bring the ever vague ""minor performance and usability improvements".

Unfortunately, this update is dependent on "market requests" meaning we don't know who else will get this, though T-Mobile would seem to be a likely candidate (they did push out 8107 for the HTC Radar recently and the Lumia 710 is still rocking the old 7740 OS). We'll keep an ear out for any rumblings.

Likewise, the Lumia 800 is currently getting the 12070 firmware update which we detailed the other day. That too has an official changelog which is similar to what we reported. That update also is dependent upon "market request" so we'll just have to wait and see who gets it:

Enhanced battery standby and talk time performance

Battery capacity icon instead of question mark on top right of screen

Improved bass in audio performance

Soft-key illumination at all brightness levels

Fixes for device performance issues including self-reboots, freezes and call-ending

Paul Thurrott has revisited his Windows Phone review, specifically the part that covers the update process. Now we're all more than aware of how awful previous Windows Phone updates have been (just take a look at NoDo) for some consumers, depending on what carrier their with, but it seems as though this isn't set to change anytime soon. Carriers will be able to block updates as they see fit (unsure as for the motive to do so) and leave users high and dry without the latest version.

Thurrott previously explained that carriers could "veto" an update, which would then be automatically offered to consumers the next time a software update is released. It seems that Joe Belfiore (who provided Thurrott with said details) was incorrect, due to the fact that carriers appear to have the ability to block updates galore. As an example: both 7740 and 8107 still haven't been delivered to some consumers.

We have touched on this before, with a post on the Windows Team blog detailing that carriers could block any updates as they wished, but ultimately consumers should receive all updates pushed out by Microsoft. All in all, a real pain for consumers. Looks like we'll have to take matters back to the drawing board to plan future wars against the carriers. Are you still missing an update (or updates)? Let us know in the comments.

If you own a T-Mobile HTC Radar 4G, check your phone for updates. We are getting reports that T-Mobile has begun distribution of the Windows Phone 8107 update today.

The 8107 update will improve the proximity sensor and Gmail contact sync as well as correct problems with visual voicemail, Microsoft security and the Arizona time zone.

You should receive a pop-up message alerting you of the update or you can connect to your Zune desktop client and check for the update under the phone's settings. The update will bump your software version to v7.10.8107.79. Let us know in the comments if you've gotten the update and any additional tweaks it may hold.

We've received several tips this afternoon reporting that the 8107 Windows Phone update is being pushed out to the Samsung Focus by Rogers Canada.

OS 8107 addresses the disappearing keyboard issue as well as other security fixes and patches. It has slowly trickled out to various carriers and even the unlocked Dell Venue Pro recently received the update. If you've updated your Roger's Samsung Focus, let us know what you think.

We've been waiting on our unlocked, international HTC TITAN to get the notification for the 8107 OS update which fixes the disappearing keyboard (and a half dozen other items) and today is that day. Reader Israel I. alerted us to his TITAN getting the update so we just plugged ours in and bam, 8107 is ready to be installed.

While this means little for AT&T users (no, this does not mean you're getting 8107. as that's AT&T's decision) it's a good sign for many of us who use HTC's flagship phone in its pristine and unlocked state. The 8107 patch seems like the final refinement of the Mango update from this summer and we look forward to other Windows Phones joining the crowd.

Still no word on any US carriers deploying 8107, but we'll keep an eye out.

In a first for a US carrier, US Cellular has reportedly begun distributing the 8107 OS update to the HTC 7 Pro (aka Arrive) owners. We've had numerous reports come in from readers that they started receiving the update within the last 48 hours with more reports coming in.

That's both exciting and frustrating as US Cellular is the "sixth largest" carrier here in the States, serving up CDMA coverage to 6.1 million subscribers. Sprint too has the the HTC 7 Pro (aka Arrive) with CDMA bands meaning this update could, theoretically, be ready to roll out there--should Sprint choose to do so. Likewise, it's a bit funny to see the small carrier outshining the likes of AT&T, who has eight Windows Phones (if counting Venue Pro) and yet has not rolled out this update nor the previous 7740 just yet.

Still, with at least one US carrier now pushing this out, it gives some hope to Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and of course Sprint. But we're not betting anything here just yet.

In what is undoubtedly a very pleasant surprise if you're an owner of an unlocked Dell Venue Pro, you can now reportedly upgrade your device to OS 8107.

For those unfamiliar, OS 8107 addresses the disappearing keyboard issue as well as other security fixes and patches. In addition, prior to receiving 8107 the user will be prompt for 7740, a previous update which also addresses some bugs e.g. voicemail notifications and Exchange 2003 email errors.

Seems like everyone is getting the 8107 update today, well everyone except us in the States. Now we're getting word from a few readers that those down in Brazil who have the HTC TITAN, which goes by the name of HTC Ultimate down there, is getting two updates: 7740 followed by 8107.

No other goodies on board but why would you need anything else when you're getting two solid OS updates in a row? (For the record, if you get 8107 you always get 7740 before hand if you don't already have it). That's one more country/device down though for that nasty keyboard bug!

While we have no such luck on any carrier here in the US for the coveted 8107 OS update, Lumia 710 users in Spain are now able to get that very update starting today. However, there is no accompanying firmware update, just the OS.

That's impressive because the Lumia 710, which shipped with 7740, was introduced there just last week (much like the US) and they're already rolling out that all-important update. The primary fix for 8107 is of course the disappearing keyboard bug as well as additional security patches.

Will any of us in the States get this update? Fingers are crossed. Read our review of the T-Mobile Lumia 710 right here.

Looks like our friends Down Under are in for a treat, like a nice serving of OS 8107. Vodafone just tweeted that the update will be rolling out within the next day, which means you can start plugging your phone into Zune Desktop and hitting refresh as fast as you can.

The changelog contains the following:

If a user’s email is hosted in an Exchange Server 2003 server, in some instances, original email messages are blank (or not included) when the user replies to or forwards an email message

When a new voice mail is received, and the user already has one voice mail waiting in their voice mail queue, the OS does not provide the user with notice of the new voice mail via Live Tile, SMS message or other notifications

When typing using the on-screen keyboard, the keyboard periodically disappears.

On occasion, Gmail contacts would not fully synchronize.

If Local Scout was launched from the Search home screen, it would not correctly identify the user’s current location